Test of Courage
by Sylindara
Summary: 13 year olds and mosquitos and wholesome summer fun. Written for Team Battle on basketballpoetsociety Tumblr


Teikou middle school's basketball club has a long and prestigious history. Befitting this long and prestigious history is the just as long and prestigious set of traditions. Kuroko and Kise, joining the first string for the summer training camp for the first time, are about to come face to face with one such tradition.

"So…" Kise says slowly, looking down at the candle in his hand, then around him at the rest of the first string stealing their nerves for the terror coming up, "Aominecchi, Akashicchi, Midorimacchi, and Murasakicchi did this last year too?"

Akashi, who had been swiping ineffectively at the mosquitos surrounding him – not because they are too fast for him, but because for every one he kills another five takes its place – nods at Kise distractedly and says, "Oh yes, I believe Murasakibara and I came first last year."

"You did," Nijimura says disgruntledly from beside him. He is standing brashly, uncaring of the mosquitos – though mostly that is because the mosquitos are all going after the more appealing target next to him. "I still don't know how you beat the rest of us. The third years had already done this twice."

"Most tests of courage are made along the same lines; as long as you know the trick, it is easy enough to guess." Akashi has given up on killing the mosquitos, pulling down fruitlessly at the hems of his sleeves and shorts to try and minimise the vulnerable skin out in the open. "Don't worry, Nijimura-san, I will lead the two of us to victory."

"You're the kid who explains who the murderer is when the episode is still on its first commercial break, aren't you." Nijmura looks disgruntled, but does not contest the fact that the two of them are pairing up.

"I am afraid I still don't understand why it is a tradition for the first string to do a test of courage on the last day of the summer training camp," Kuroko says unexpectedly from next to Aomine, one hand coming up tentatively as if he's asking questions in class.

Aomine shrieks at the sudden presence besides him and topples into Midorima, both of them crashing ignominiously to the ground. Midorima's squashed voice rises, shaking with anger, from underneath Aomine. "I will have you know I quit! I refuse to be paired with you!"

Aomine picks himself up, looking around widely – deliberately pretending he does not see Kuroko's expectant gaze – until his eyes land on the lone figure standing a little off to the side, a convenience store bag dangling from one wrist while the other hand shoves a half a bar of chocolate into his mouth. "Murasakibara, pair up with me!"

"No," Murasakibara returns instantly, then turns to Kuroko – who has turned his expectant gaze in that direction – and says bluntly, "I'm going with Midochin; it'll be too much bother pairing up with either Kurochin or Minechin."

Kise weighs his chances between Aomine – who screams at everything once it gets dark, and Kuroko – who seems to get some kind of thrill out of making everyone scream, and turn his gaze on the rest of the first string, none of whom will look him in the eyes.

"Come on guys!" Nijimura calls from next to the box of lots. "You're wasting time. Everyone's paired up already; Kise, Aomine, Kuroko, the three of you go together."

On Kise's left, Aomine is staring wildly around him as if expecting something to start jumping out any second now; on his right, Kuroko is staring at Aomine calculatingly, an unholy gleam in his eyes. Personally, Nijimura thinks Kise should give up on the test becoming anything like a good experience to end the camp for him.

He wasn't to know it then, but this test of courage would go down in Teikou history, in a completely different way from the usual tales of the Generation of Miracles. So terrible is this test that not a single person speaks up when Akashi makes no mention of it at next year's summer camp, long after Nijimura has left. Although it is even odds if the new Akashi – who does not believe in silly things like tests of courage that does nothing to improve one's skill in basketball – would have ever allowed it anyway.


End file.
